Mermaids' Night Out
by LoveStoryMermaid
Summary: Rikki convinces the girls to sneak out and break into the marine park to go on the water rides again. Will they get caught?
1. The Plan

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters, nor have I ever done anything like this for real, nor do I ever plan to. **

Mermaids' Night Out

Emma POV

_Plink. Plink. Tap. Tap. _What _was _that? It almost sounded like someone throwing rocks at my window and then knocking. I turned over groggily to look at the clock beside my bed. It was 11 o'clock at night. _What in the world?_ Then I looked at my window. _Rikki?! What the heck?_ Slowly, I climbed out of bed to go open the window.

"Rikki, what in the world are you doing here, at this time of night?" I asked sleepily, and annoyed.

"Not just Rikki. Hey, Emma," Cleo announced, both of them way too excited for the time of night.

"Cleo!? Would one of you please explain what is going on?" I whispered, annoyed.

"Ok, well, here's the thing," Rikki started; I gave her an exasperated look, but she continued, "I don't know about you, Em, but I, personally am sick of not being able to go out and have some fun anymore."

"Rikki, what are you talking about?" I asked her, still annoyed. It was 11:05 at night now and I wanted to get back to sleep. Whatever she and Cleo were up to could wait, or they could do it without me. If whatever it was included the cover of night, it couldn't be anything good, anything legal, especially with Rikki involved. "Rikki, we have fun all the time. We hang out at the juice net, at school, we go for swims to Mako, to reefs, we have water fights, girls' nights in…What's going on? Then, let me go back to sleep." I complained.

"Emma, listen to yourself. The things you've mentioned are mostly normal activities, school, juice net, everyone has girl nights in; we might have other means, but everyone has water fights, and Mako is normal, routine, for us. The only thing really fun you mentioned, out of the norm, was the reefs. Okay, so, actually, I guess what I want to do would be a normal thing, but it has a little twist to it, for us, and when we're going."  
"Rikki! Get to the point!" I was tired, annoyed, she didn't sound like she was up to any good, and Cleo was just nodding and look at me with a happy, fun, giddy, little smug in her face.

"Jeez, don't get all impatient. You're going to love this!" My exasperated glare had her finally, continuing on to the plan with a smile, and shake of her head, probably at my impatience. "Alright, alright, jeez, okay, so here's the plan." She looked really excited about something, really pleased with herself too, Cleo still had the expression on her face, except now she was nodding enthusiastically. This couldn't be good. Rikki, finally, got on with it "So yeah, I'm tired of not being able to go where I want because there might be too much of a risk of water. We're changing that tonight. We're going to be in charge of that tonight, and we're going to do what we want to. We are going to the marine park and we are going to enjoy the rides." Rikki smiled, happy with herself.

"Rikki, you know perfectly well why we can't go to the marine park, even if we wanted to," I added grudgingly. I had missed the rides since we became mermaids. Now it was Rikki who was exasperated.

"Yes, Emma, that's why we're going when no one will see us," At my blank look, she explained, seeming kind of annoyed she had to explain this, "Emma, you, me, and Cleo, and, I guess Lewis too, are having a night out, at the marine park, tonight, right now. We're going to break in, with Cleo's help, she knows and has access to the controls and security of the park because of her job, and then, once the cameras are taken care of, we are going on the rides. Lewis will be in control of the controls, since we'll have tails, and so we don't have to steam dry every time."

She couldn't be serious. Break into the marine park! So we could have some old time fun with a new twist! I don't think so! She's crazy! We'll be caught, arrested, I'll be grounded for life, and then my parents will never speak to me again, not to mention my reputation, and school.

"Rikki, tell me you're kidding!" I whispered, disbelievingly. She shook her head no.

"You're crazy! We'll be caught, we'll be seen, and we'll be arrested, and then shipped off to a lab and then the circus! My parents will kill me!"

"Emma, we're not going to get caught, and your parents aren't going to know. This will be fun. Trust me. We're wasting time. Coming or not? Cleo and I are."

I couldn't believe this, because, one, it was stupid and illegal, and two, because I kind of wanted to go, but, _no!_ , this was irrational, we would be caught, and then…I tried be logical.

"Ok, Rikki, just hang on a second, here. Have you even actually called Lewis yet? Talked to him about this?"

A guilty look came over her face. I would take that as a no.

"Well, then, Emma, can I borrow your cell phone?"

This was impossible. I _wasn't _doing this. I should tell her no, go get another phone, go to Lewis herself, if she was going to do this, which I could tell she was. That's what I _should_ do; I'd already told how stupid this was. Instead, though, almost of its on accord, I grabbed my phone off my bedside table and handed it to her. What was I doing?!

"Rikki! Wait!" I whispered. She just smiled and ignored me as she dialed the number. We could hear the other end of the phone, since she'd come to sit on the bed, and Cleo had followed her. I heard it ring a few times first, he was probably asleep. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Don't pick it up, don't pick up_, I silently pleaded. If he didn't pick up, Rikki might wait, might, no, probably not, she'd probably go anyway and just take more time and make things harder for themselves. _Rrii…_

"Hello?" Lewis answered, his voice thick with sleep.

"Lewis, it's Rikki. Wake up, and get your but out of bed."

"Rikki? What's wrong? Are you all okay?" Lewis asked, concerned, expecting there to be a probably. I don't blame him, why else would we be calling him, I looked at my clock, at 11:15 at night? Though, I guess, considering the illicit activity Rikki was planning, there _was_ a problem. Not that she would see it that way.

"We're fine Lewis, but we do need your help. We're going out tonight, to the marine park. It would be seriously helpful if you could work the controls."

"Wh, what?" I heard his disbelief, "Rikki, you can't go to the marine park."

"Yeah, we can. Cleo has access to security and controls and you'll be there to work the rides, so no one will be there, and no one will see us." There was astonished silence on the other end of the line.

"What about Emma? She can't be happy with this. Didn't she tell you this was stupid, crazy?" he asked, reaching.

"Yeah, several times, but if you go, she'll come to." I glared at her, eyes wide, I didn't say that, but, it was probably true. Wait, no! No, it was not! Lewis could go, but I would not have any part of this! He was quiet again, and then he said the last thing I wanted to hear.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. You guys should get out some, have some fun. If you can take of the cameras, sure, why not, I'll help.

"Great. See you there in 15 minutes." Rikki said, pleased.

"Wait, 15 minutes. Wow. Um, okay, though, fine. 15 minutes, I'll be there." And they hung up.

"Great. Okay, Emma, get up, get dressed, let's go," Rikki said.

"Rikki…" I started, but I didn't really know what to say, a part of me did want to go, but the rational side of me said absolutely not.

"Emma, you know you want to go. So stop complaining and coming up with excuses. Come on. It'll be fun, but not without you there, our night_ out,_ for a change." Rikki insisted. And I did. Next thing I knew, we were meeting Lewis a block away at the marine park, to get the details worked out.

"Ok, so here's the plan. Cleo, you brought your uniform, right?" Cleo nodded, Rikki continued, "Good, so put it on," she did as Rikki went on, "Now, you've got your card?" Another nod. "Okay, so just walk right through the gates like you forgot something or were called in to check on one of the animals; that can be your excuse later, too, if someone asks. So, yeah, actually, go to the main office and turn on the lights to a dolphin pen or something. Go out to it and do a quick check, so we have the alibi, then head back to the office, like you were satisfied and had gone back to get your keys. But, instead, you go up to the security office and turn off the cameras. Before we leave, Lewis will make it look like there was an electricity short-out. We could even pick up the wind and have a little rain. Actually, yeah, keep up the pretense. You'll turn out the dolphin pen light, and that'll be the cue. You start some rain, and Emma will pick up some wind and then freeze it into hail. When it's hail, you'll be free to shut off the cams, then, dim the lights by the rides, _dim_, not on full, we don't want to attract attention. When they're on, we'll head on through the gate, meet you there, we'll get Lewis by a control, and then this night'll get on! Got it?" she whispered. Cleo nodded, so did Lewis. Rikki looked at me.

"Emma? Emma, this is going to be fine. Nothing can go wrong," she assured me. I wasn't quite so sure.  
"You really have put some thought into this. How long have you been planning this?" I realized, and asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer. She shrugged, "About a week. Come on, please. You're here, might as well." I sighed, she was right, in theory. I was here, and we would have a perfect alibi, things should go great, but when do things ever go as smoothly as expected? I sighed again and nodded.

"There's our Emma," Rikki agreed enthusiastically.

Cleo walked off towards the marine park and we heard the gate open and then shut. A few minutes later we could see the lights go on near the dolphin pen and we knew Cleo would be walking out and looking around, checking, for the alibi. We heard the door shut as she went back inside.


	2. Night Out

_We heard the door shut as she went back inside_.

* * *

Cleo POV

Okay, that was easy enough. Now, the cameras, grab your keys first. I went into the camera room; there was just an override switch that I needed to hit that would cut them. Oh! Pen lights, though. Lights, lights, there they are. Everything was just switches, easy; I'd been shown just after a week of working, in case of emergency. I knew I could be kicked out and arrested if I got caught, but I didn't think I, or we, would, everything would go perfectly, easy, and then we would have fun! I'd loved the marine rides, and have been dying to somehow get back on them. Now, Rikki showed us how we could. She was amazing! She made everything more fun, we'd never'd have the guts to do this, or probably even the idea in the first place, on our own. I'm proud of Emma, though, I didn't think she'd come. This really does go against everything she is, but I guess even the good girl gets tired of following the same old rules all the time, especially when that girl happens to be a mermaid and have mermaid powers. Ok, so I turned off the pen lights. Wait a minute, ok, now, rain. I looked out the window of the control/security room and raised my hand, curling my fingers till they were like a claw, holding it there for a second, and then closing it, _slowly_, into a fist. There's the wind, light, now the rain's starting to freeze, good, Emma's on it back there, and there's the wind starting to pick up. She'll probably turn it into full out hail soon, time to take care of the cams.

Ok, there's the switch, and there's the hail, wind seriously starting to pick up. I hit the switch, and see the cameras go out. Excellent. Lastly, back to the lights, dim them only on the rides. There it is, and there's the dial switch. I turn the setting to one, just dim night lights, perfect. Now, let's go! I head out the door and the rain, hail, and wind have stopped; it's even warmed up it a bit, Rikki, probably. She's smiling, so she's pleased, about one thing or the other.

"Great job, Emma, Cleo. Now, let's go get this night started!" Rikki said. Emma just nodded, with a weak, almost embarrassed, maybe ashamed, smile. I nudge her.

"Come on, Em, the cams are off. This'll be fun!" I tell her, with a nudge." She just smiles, a little brighter now, and nods.

"Alright, ladies, what ride is up first?" Lewis asks. We smile; we all have the same favorite ride, which we'd been deprived of for so long.

"Log ride, big one," We say at the same time, we all laugh, even Emma. She'll enjoy herself eventually. I know she will. She's just cautious.

We get to the log ride. Cleo quickly shows Lewis the controls, though it's pretty easy to figure out. He lets her know he's got and we go up, with smiles, Emma a little nervous, to grab a log car. We get in; the bottom's a little filled with water. One, two, three, four, five, Rikki and I smile, Emma sighs, but gives a small smile, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! When Lewis looks up, we already have tails. He laughs, gives the thumbs up, we do so too, and he hits the start button. Here we go! We go up to the top, Rikki's laughing, I'm really smiling, and even Emma's truly smiling now! Awesome!

"HANG ON!" Rikki shouts, as we go over the hill. We go up one more, bigger hill, and are about to go over the hill that'll bring us plunging into the water at the bottom. Emma squeals as we go down. Rikki and I throw our hands up, and we're all laughing as we get splashed at the bottom. I smile, and twirl my hand, making the water leap and dance over and around us. Emma's laughing now too, in spite or herself. Lewis is smiling, glad that we're having fun.

"Again?" he asks us.

We look at each other, laugh and then nod. He takes us back through again. We splash again. We tell Lewis to take us once more, he nods, smiling. This last time, when we go down the final hill, I push my hand forward toward the water, making it go faster. I laugh; Lewis is going to get soaked at this speed! Sure enough, he see me pushing the water faster, and jumps back, but he's too late and he had actually jumped back but to the side of the controls and so he got splashed full on. He grimaced, shook his head, but in a good, fun, I-can-take-a-joke, way.

When Lewis asks us if we want to go again or go on to another ride, Rikki smiles and holds out her hand over our orange tails as we say, "Water slide." We'd talked about it before we came down the final time. Rikki moves her hand, brushes them off and we've got legs again. She also dries off the car, just a bit, to make it look like it was only wet because of the rain.

We all chat as we walk over to the water slide. Emma really is enjoying herself, for the most part, when she doesn't think about the illegality of what we are doing. You know when she is, because suddenly this dark, worried shadow comes over her face, but other than that, she's talking, smiling, and laughing at times with the rest of us.

We get to the water slide. I again show Lewis the controls. It's close to the same as the log ride because it's just a matter of turning the water on by pushing a button. Actually, I could probably have made this work out on my own, but it'll be better with the controls. Emma and Rikki smile with me as we run and grab the mats that'll carry us down. We take the closed one first. Rikki goes first. She smiles, lies on her back and pushes herself down, screaming with pleasure as she goes, "Woohoo!" When she comes out at the bottom of the pool, she has a tail. I go next. "Emma, give me a push?" I ask.

"Sure, Cleo," she agrees with a smile. I feel Emma push me as I'm flat on my back and love the rush of the fast, dark, tunnel. I used to be a bit claustrophobic, but especially the circumstances of this night, I'm over it, I wouldn't miss this chance, as it might not come again. I come out with a tail too. Rikki is waiting with a smile on her stomach and gives me a high five.

"Come on, Emma!" Rikki calls.

"Coming!" Emma calls back as she slides down with a shout. She comes out, of course, also, with a tail. We smile and Rikki dries us off, for us to go back up and do it again. Lewis is smiling too. This time Emma goes first, Rikki follows. Rikki goes down on her stomach, feet first, though. She swims over to Emma. Just as I follow we freeze. We hear the gate open and feet on the stones. Rikki quickly goes to dry us off. Not fast enough.


	3. Caught?

_Rikki quickly goes to dry us off. Not fast enough. _

* * *

"Why am I not surprised?" someone says with a laugh. Rikki and Lewis apparently know it, though, because both relax, Lewis just shaking his head, and Rikki stopped trying to dry us off.

"Zane, what are you doing here?" Rikki asked.

"I think I'm more in a position to ask that. What if I were someone else? I assume you all had the sense to turn off the cams?" he responded jokingly, but still with a note of seriousness.

"Yes, we did, thank you. If it was someone else, we would've been dry in another two seconds and Lewis would have stalled for that amount of time. How did you know we were here? Or do you normally take to breaking into the marine park at night?" Rikki demanded.

"No. My dad would kill me if I got caught, besides, I don't have any reason to. I guess I can understand why you all are here though. I saw the rain, hail, and wind. The weather hadn't called for anything like that and I knew you three, then I saw the lights, though just the normal dimmed for night, thought I heard laughter, and I had a pretty good idea. Though, I wasn't entirely sure you'd be that crazy. But, then again, it is you." Zane answered.

"Told you," Emma muttered. Zane laughed, "Nice night, though. How's it, Lewis?"

"Pretty good." Lewis answered.

"Well, assuming you three aren't arrested yet, I get the feeling you've taking all the precautions and have a plan of getting out, so, mind if I join you?" Zane asked.

"It was just going to be our night out, but, I don't mind as long as Emma and Cleo don't." Rikki answered. We didn't. So Rikki finished drying us off and Zane joined us for the next time down. We went twice more, but on the open chute, and Zane took over the controls so Lewis could have a turn.

"Zane, do you happen to have the time? I didn't think to bring a watch." Rikki admitted sheepishly.

Lewis answered, "It's a quarter till one, plenty of time."

"Great. Yeah, the staff doesn't come in till seven, and, Emma, your parents get up the earliest, and that's not till around five. Right? So, I'm good to stay longer, if you guys are?" I answer.

"Absolutely. I was just double checking. No way am I ready to leave yet." Rikki remarked. Emma nodded, though she couldn't quite bring herself to say she agreed.

"Where to next, ladies?" the guys asked at the same time, though Zane used girls, causing us to laugh.

"Blaster boats," Emma answered. Rikki and I nodded our agreement. Zane was dying to take part in this one, so it was Lewis at the controls again. We all started out slow, just creeping. I took the first aim, at Emma, so she got her tail first, but she yelled "Cleo!" and shot right back at me, and Zane had fired at Rikki, then me and Emma, so Rikki and I were just seconds after her. I got this wicked smile on my face and got Emma's boat stuck in a whirlpool, and made the water scoot my boat up faster to her.

"Cleo," she warned. I just laughed and Zane and Rikki moved in her spinning direction too; I helped them move faster. "Rikki, Zane!" she warned, we just laughed and sprayed her, then I let her out of it and allowed her to spray me full on, though she had made the water freezing, almost literally, so it was cold and kind of hard. "Emma!" but I couldn't complain, it was fair payback, she got Zane and Rikki too. Rikki gasped and turned back on her. I squirted at Zane and he came back to me. There came a point where the others started sneaking off away from each other, trying to get sneaky. We all goofed off for a few more minutes till we decided that was enough and headed in, Rikki again drying our tails.

We decided we shouldn't push it and would take just one more ride. Cleo wanted to swim with the dolphins, but when we reminded her we do that anyway, she agreed that it should be something else. In the end, we decided on a roller coaster, that dipped through a tunnel underwater and then just above the water, where some people's feet can skim the water if they want to; we wanted to and that's where our tails first came out, though we were continuously wet, even as we changed, because at different points the riders were squirted with water. Lewis joined us on this one and Zane did controls, so that was often, though Emma and I had fun with diverting the blasts or making them colder, or more or less pressured. We all laughed when I decided to divert a blast near the controls that Zane had sent, directly back to him. I figured, we soaked Lewis, Zane decided to come and stay, so he should get soaked too!

The ride came to an end and Lewis announced it was fifteen minutes till two in the morning, for we had walked around a bit, and I think Zane made the coaster go an extra loop around the track and we had wanted the night to last a little longer. It had been a really fun night. Rikki was a genius! But, we really shouldn't push our luck, so we finally decided to a call it a night and start heading out. We went back to all the rides we had taken so to make sure they were dried just to the point where they would be wet only due to rain and that they were all in the proper positions and in good order, they were. Then it was time to finish up. I had to go turn off the lights and get the cameras back on, because eventually, after two the lights went off anyway if they were on. Zane, Emma, and Rikki then headed out the gate and Lewis and I headed back to the office, me putting my marine park uniform back on.


	4. Reflecting

_Zane, Emma, and Rikki then headed out the gate and Lewis and I headed back to the office, me putting my marine park uniform back on. _

* * *

I was back in the control room now. Okay, turn the lights dial off, so they would go off naturally in about ten minutes. Before I turned on the cams, I needed to get the rain going again, which would be Emma's signal to start with the wind, both just lightly, though, since it doesn't storm that hard that long, but, also, Lewis needed to get on the computers and make this look like a power shortage before I turned on the cameras, since he couldn't be seen walking out. Once he was done, he nodded, and so did I. I waited till I heard him open the gate till I raised my hand to start the rain. Just a little bit, now, my fingers were barely bent, and I used my other hand to flip on the override switch. It would take about two minutes for them to come back on, which gave me good time to get out of there, double check that nothing was out of place, and to quickly get back to the gate, since some time was to have passed since the "power outage". Emma had already started on the light wind when I got outside. I had just locked up the gate and started to walk off when I saw the little dot of light over the gate to signify the cameras were back on. That was fine, they would just see an ankle leaving, and they could assume it was me leaving or someone else. Everything had worked out perfectly. It had been a fun night; all that was left was to get back home, which we did, without a problem. I knew because, previously agreed, so that we _would_ know, I received a text from Emma, Rikki, Zane, and Lewis, about whatever they wanted. Zane said _MERMAIDS!_, Emma had said _geez, kind of fun though_, Rikki had said _I know, I'm a genius_, and Lewis and said, _good night guys_. All in all, a pretty cool night. It was nice to be on those rides again.

Emma POV

All the way home, I was looking over my shoulder, worried about getting caught, which we didn't, but…When I got home, I slowly opened the door, only as much as was necessary, hoping, hoping, my parents weren't up early for some freak reason, they weren't, and then getting back in bed. I can't believe I did that! Oh man, it was so illegal! If we… If my parents ever find out, I'd be dead. I'd want to yell at Rikki, but it'd be my own fault. I'd agreed to go. Yet, I guess I am glad I went. When I didn't think about how wrong it was, it was a fun night. I had really missed those rides and it was great to be on them again. Well, best get to sleep or my parents will wonder why I look so tired in the morning, and why I slept so late. A fun night, though, especially with adrenaline I realized I had running in my veins when I found it hard to get to sleep.

Rikki POV

I was really proud of myself. I haven't done anything like that in a long time, and I'd even convinced good girl Emma to come along. Zane had met us too, making it kind of a double date, since Lewis was there too. We had so much fun! We all got soaked! I did get a little tired of drying us off all the time, but no matter, part of the night, part of the night. We never got caught, and never would, I was a genius. It was an awesome night! Who says mermaids have to stay off water rides? Not with me around, they don't!

Lewis POV

I can't believe the girls really did that. Whatever, they had fun. It was a fun night and we didn't get caught. It was good for Emma to loosen up too. I wasn't really sure Rikki would get her to come, but she did, and we all had a great time, especially Cleo and me. I knew they were fine because I had received all their texts. Cleo had said _wow. _A pretty cool night.

Zane POV

I wish I could say I was surprised the girls did that, and that we didn't get caught, but I can't. It's so like Rikki, and when I get involved, things always work out. Even if we'd run into trouble, the Bennett name had its uses. Rikki was amazing. I guess, as far as things go, a fairly normal night. A mermaid's night out.


End file.
